ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs 
Cabinet approves Mumbai Urban Transport Project Phase-IIIA
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister has approved Phase-IIIA of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project.
Expenditure:
The total estimated cost of the project will be Rs.30,849 crore with completion cost of Rs.33690 crore. The project is likely to be completed in five years.
Benefits:
- introduction of air-conditioned coaches with automatic door operation to improve comfort level and safety of commuters.
- Seamless travel for long distance suburban passengers by extending and creating corridors.
- Improvement in passenger amenities, improved passenger movement at stations.
- Decongestion of entry/exit at the stations.
- Increase in safety, capacity and efficiency of suburban network by introduction of Communication Based Train Control System
- Segregation of suburban rail operation on Central and Western Railway.
Background:
The Mumbai suburban railway network on Central and Western Railways has 385 route kms. There are five corridors, two on Western Railway, two on Central Railway and one on Harbour Line. Everyday about 8.0 million people travel in the suburban sections in more than 3000 train services. There is severe overcrowding in the suburban trains and during peak hours, passengers carried are more than four times the carrying capacity.
PIB Headquarters
Combined Higher Secondary  Level Examination, 2019
Staff Selection Commission has released the Notification for “Combined Higher Secondary  Level Examination, 2019” on 03.12.2019 for recruitment to the posts of Lower Division Clerk/Junior Secretariat Assistant, Postal Assistant/Sorting Assistant and Data Entry Operators for various Ministries/Departments/Offices of the Government of India.
2. Application must be submitted in online mode only through ssc.nic.in. The last date for submission of online applications is 10.01.2020.
3. Essential Educational Qualification as on 01.01.2020 is as under:-
 For LDC/JSA, PA/SA, DEO : The candidates must have passed 12th Standard or equivalent examination from a recognized Board or University.
 For Data Entry Operator  in the Office of Comptroller and Auditor General of India : 12th Standard pass in Science stream with Mathematics as a subject from a recognized Board or equivalent.
4. In Southern Region, Tier-I of the examination will be held in 21 Centres/Cities viz. Chirala, Guntur, Kakinada, Kurnool, Nellore, Rajahmuntry, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh; Hyderabad, Karimnagar and Warangal in Telangana; Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli and Vellore in Tamilnadu; and Puducherry.
5. The Press Note is issued for information and benefit to the candidates, according to a press release issued by Mr.K.Nagaraja, Joint Secretary & Regional Director, Staff Selection Commission.
Cabinet
Cabinet approves transfer of land at Ranchi by Heavy Engineering Corporation  Limited, to the Jharkhand Government
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for Monetisation of land not currently in use by Heavy Engineering Corporation  Limited, Ranchi, through transfer of 675.43 acres of HEC land to the Jharkhand Government. It would help in raising Rs. 742.98 crore to HEC and the money would be utilised for liquidation of employee related statutory dues viz. Gratuity, PF, Leave encashment and other retirement benefits to the retired employees. The money will also help HEC to liquidate its Government dues, bankers' dues and other immediate liabilities.
The transfer of land will also meet the requirements of Jharkhand Government for its Smart City project and other development projects in the State capital in the larger public interest.
President's Secretariat
President of India Inaugurates 6th India Water Week-2019
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the 6th India Water Week-2019, today  at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The theme of the India Water Week-2019 is ‘Water Cooperation – Coping with 21st Century Challenges’ and it is being organised by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that cooperation between different stakeholders is critical, if we are to face the challenges concerning water effectively. Water issues are too multi-faceted and complex to be solved by only the government or just one nation. All nations and their water communities have to come together to help build a water sustainable future for all.
The President said that we often talk of reducing our “carbon-footprint”. It is time we talk to reducing our “water-footprint” as well. Our farmers, corporate leaders and government bodies need to actively consider the “water-footprint’’ of different crops and industries. We need to encourage agricultural and industrial practices that have the least water-footprint.
The President said that managing and mapping ground-water resources is also an important aspect of water governance. The widespread use of boring machines has led to unregulated and excessive exploitation of ground-water. We have to value our ground-water and be responsible. We have to ensure that our precious rainwater does not get wasted. We need to store and capture our rainwater by utilizing our existing reservoirs, dams, other water bodies and by adopting water harvesting measures in our homes and neighbourhoods.
The President said that while we seek solutions to address different water-related issues, we should not lose sight of our age-old methods of conserving water. A blending of our traditional knowledge with modern technologies and techniques can help us become a water secure nation. He called upon all stakeholders to pledge to achieve water-related goals with robust cooperation among all states, public and private organisations and people. He said that over the past five years, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan saw participation of people from all strata of society as well as organisations, who took responsibility and made it their personal mission. We all need to show the same dedication and commitment towards Jal Shakti Abhiyan.
The President said that the ‘National Mission for Clean Ganga’ entails numerous projects to ensure the continuous and unpolluted flow of the Ganga. He emphasized that making Ganga and our other rivers clean cannot be a mission of the Government alone. It has to be our collective endeavour and our collective promise. He said that as citizens we must contribute to this cause. For instance, we recently celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratras are a few days away. We need to ensure that the idols of deities immersed in the rivers are made of environment-friendly materials. It will help keep the rivers clean and ensure the safety of marine life.
Ministry of Communications
Communication Ministers’ Conclave concludes with a vision to enable digital transformation and inspire innovation in telecommunications
A Communication Ministers’ Conclave was held in New Delhi, with the theme of ‘Enabling Innovation in Telecommunications to Ensure Digital Transformation of the Society’. During the conclave, Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw and Ms Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General, ITU unveiled Coffee Table Book ‘ITU@India’ as well as launched the UN Wayfinder navigational mobile App. The App has been developed by C-DOT, to enable users to find their way in various blocks and floors of UN buildings in Geneva.
The event brought together Communication Ministers and senior Government officials from across the South Asia region, as well as representatives of the International Telecommunication Union . The discussions converged on the latest developments in the field of telecommunications, with a focus on emerging technologies, regulatory issues, and the role of governments in driving innovation and growth. They also addressed the challenges faced by the telecommunication sector.
The discussions emphasised the need for sustained investment in broadband infrastructure, development of education and digital skills as well as the importance of collaboration between governments, the industry and the society in creating an enabling environment for digital innovation.
The Conclave concluded with a commitment to promote a more inclusive and sustainable digital future and to collaborate on a range of issues, including 5G, cybersecurity, and the use of digital technologies for social and economic development.
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw also inaugurated the 17th India Telecom 2023 in the gracious presence of Minister of State for Communications Shri Devusinh Chauhan. Telecom Equipment & Services Export Promotion Council  is organising India Telecom, an exclusive international business expo.
The main objective of the event was to provide opportunities to startups, MSMEs and Indian telecom stakeholders to meet prospective overseas buyers. Additionally, the Indian innovators were also felicitated on the occasion. These included innovators of the 5G Hackathon, the Advance Optical Communication Testbed Project, the 5G O-RAN Project and the Digital Communication Innovation Square.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Area Office and Innovation Centre of International Telecommunication Union , a United Nation body. Shri Narendra Modi also launched key initiatives of the Government in the same event, including unveiling of Bharat 6G Vision Document and launches of 6G Testbed Project & ‘Call Before u Dig’ mobile app.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Shri Piyush Goyal addresses traders’ fraternity on National traders’ day
Says, every trader is a contributor in the development of the country
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and Textiles Shri Piyush Goyalhas lauded the contribution of traders in Indian economy. He said, traders are the backbone of the country’s economy and financial powers. Virtually addressingthe traders’ fraternity on the occasion of National traders’ day today, he said traders are the true ambassadors of Brand India. He asked the traders to push for the PM’s clarion call for “Vocal for Local” and become ambassadors of brand India.
Shri Goyal said that India is becoming a global platform for goods and services and asked traders to become Atmanirbhar on all fronts of commerce and trade. He also stressed that trade is not an exchange of goods but is an exchange of culture, goodwill and trust also. The key to it is Quality and productivity. The minister also stressed on ensuring sale of quality products to achieve the above goals.
The Minister assured full support to the trader community from Government and asked traders to bring violations in law to notice of the Government. He said government is committed to protect traders and small entrepreneurs. He said Government is working towards simplifying legal metrology and creating a single window online system to stop harassment of traders. Shri Piyush Goyal urgedtraders to boost Swarojgar, Swadeshi & Sugam Vyapar.
Shri Goyal lauded the role of traders during Covid Pandemic. He said during the last 15-16 months of the Covid-19 pandemic, traders specially, in the remote area served people’s need by ensuring the uninterrupted supply of essential goods in every nook and corner of the country. He urged the traders to adhere to all Covid 19 protocols in their day today life and asked them to get both doses of COVID Vaccination.
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
Secretary, DEPwD participates in “12th Conference of States Parties to Convention to Rights of PwDs” at UN HQ, New York
Mrs Shakuntala Doley Gamlin, Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities  under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment participated in “12th Conference of States Parties to the Convention to Rights of Persons with Disabilities” at the UN Headquarters, New York today. Delivering the national statement on the status on disability matters, she highlighted that in the recently concluded general election in India a range of facilities provided to make the polling process inclusive and accessible to ensure that all can exercise their right to vote.
She informed the international community that India is fully committed to the implementation of UNCRPD and SDGs.The main focus of India has been to create accessibility, provide aids and appliances and rehabilitation services to meet psychosocial challenges, and finding IT solutions to make the lives of Divyangjans more simple and satisfying.
Her statement included progress made in making accessible India campaign, weightage given to disabled women, launch of sign language dictionary, and building capacity of sign language interpreters. Establishment of National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation for addressing issues of psycho social disabilities and disability sports facility and development of a national early intervention programme for children of 0-6 years of age were some of important initiatives.
Ministry of Science & Technology
NBRI establishes advanced virology lab for COVID-19 testing
The National Botanical Research Institute , Lucknow, has established an “Advanced Virology Lab” for testing COVID-19. The facility has been developed based on the guidelines of the Indian Council Medical Research , the World Health Organisation , and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
It is a Bio Safety Level  3 level facility. “Biosafety levels are assigned to a facility depending on the pathogen it deals with. According to ICMR guidelines, BSL2 level facility is recommended for COVID-19 but this is an advanced version,” said Dr Samir Sawant, Senior Principal Scientist, NBRI. This advanced version has a “Negative Pressure”, which means it has a suction facility that can suck any aerosol and pass it through filters. It can filter virus or bacteria to make it a safe COVID-19 testing facility. It reduces the possibilities of infections at culturing facilities.
Inauguration of Advanced Virology Lab
Prof. S K Barik, Director, NBRI, said that the facility will add to the testing capacity of Uttar Pradesh . At present, UP is testing about 20,000 samples per day.
“To follow the protocol, we will start testing 100 samples a day in the first week and later we will scale it up to 500 samples a day,” said Dr Sawant.
“As requested by the higher authorities of the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research , NBRI took up the initiative for developing the testing facility in the wake of coronavirus pandemic as a service to the people of Uttar Pradesh,” Prof Barik said. Prof. Barik also informed that a team of scientists and researchers from the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants , Lucknow, will also join the NBRI team for the testing of COVID samples.
Prime Minister's Office
PM greets people on Ram Navami
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has greeted the people on the occasion of Ram Navami and wished happiness, peace and prosperity for all.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said;
"देशवासियों को रामनवमी की ढेरों शुभकामनाएं। भगवान श्रीराम की कृपा से हर किसी को जीवन में सुख, शांति और समृद्धि प्राप्त हो। जय श्रीराम!"
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
India crosses a milestone, conducts more than 2 crore COVID tests
Tests Per Million increases to 14640
In a landmark achievement, India has tested 2,02,02,858 COVID-19 samples so far. This is pursuant to the key strategy followed by State/UT governments under the guidance of Centre for management of COVID-19 to “Test aggressively, Track efficiently and Isolate and Treat promptly". Effective implementation of this approach has led to ramping up the testing capacity across the country and facilitated widespread COVID testing of people.
With 3,81,027 samples tested in the last 24 hours, the number of Test Per Million  has increased to 14640. Currently, the testing per million for India is 14640. While the country's TPM has demonstrated a steady upward trend indicating the growing testing network, 24 States and UTs have reported higher testing per million than the national average.
The testing lab network in the country is continuously strengthened with 1348 labs in the country; 914 labs in the government sector and 434 private labs. These include:
• Real-Time RT PCR based testing labs: 686 
• TrueNat based testing labs: 556 
• CBNAAT based testing labs: 106 
For all authentic & updated information on COVID-19 related technical issues, guidelines & advisories please regularly visit: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/ and @MoHFW_INDIA.
Technical queries related to COVID-19 may be sent to technicalquery.covid19[at]gov[dot]in and other queries on ncov2019[at]gov[dot]in and @CovidIndiaSeva .
In case of any queries on COVID-19, please call at the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare helpline no.: +91-11-23978046 or 1075 . List of helpline numbers of States/UTs on COVID-19 is also available at https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/coronvavirushelplinenumber.pdf .
Cabinet
Cabinet approves Taxation Laws  Bill, 2019
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for introducing the Taxation Laws  Bill, 2019 in order to replace the Ordinance.
Economic developments after the enactment of the Finance  Act, 2019  along with reduction of rate of corporate income tax by many countries world over necessitated the provision of additional fiscal stimulus to attract investment, generate employment and boost the economy. As these could have been achieved through amendment to the Income-tax Act, 1961  or to the Finance Act and the Parliament was not in session, it was done through promulgation of The Taxation Laws  Ordinance 2019  in September, 2019. Salient features of the amendments made by the Ordinance are provided in the following paras.
In order to promote growth and investment, a new provision was inserted in the IT Act to provide that with effect from the current financial year 2019-20, an existing domestic company may opt to pay tax at 22% plus surcharge at 10% and cess at 4%, if it does not claim any incentive/deduction. The effective tax rate for these companies comes to 25.17% for these companies. They would also not be subjected to Minimum Alternate Tax .
In order to attract fresh investment in manufacturing and provide boost to 'Make-in India' initiative of the Government, another provision was inserted to the IT Act, to provide that a domestic manufacturing company set up on or after 1st October, 2019 and which commences manufacturing by 31st March, 2023, may opt to pay tax at 15% plus surcharge at 10% and cess at 4% if it does not claim any incentive/deduction. The effective rate of tax comes to 17.16% for these companies. They would also not be subjected to MAT.
A company which does not opt for the concessional tax regime and avails the tax exemption/incentive shall continue to pay tax at the pre-amended rate. However, these companies can opt for the concessional tax regime after expiry of their tax holiday/exemption period. After the exercise of the option they shall be liable to pay tax at the rate of 22%. Further, in order to provide relief to companies which continue to avail exemptions/incentive, the rate of MAT was reduced from existing 18.5% to 15%.
In order to provide relief to listed companies, the buy-back tax on shares of listed companies introduced through the Finance Act will not apply to buy-backs in respect of which public announcement were made before 5th July, 2019.
In order to stabilise the flow of funds into the capital market, it was provided that the enhanced surcharge introduced through the Finance Act on capital gains arising on account of transfer of listed equity share or certain units which are liable to securities transaction tax will not apply. Further, it was also provided that the enhanced surcharge will not apply to capital gains income of FPIs arising out of transfer of any security including derivatives, having concessional tax regime.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
NSS Volunteers Sapna Suresh Babar from Akola and Manoj Vishnu Gunjal from Pune receive National Service Scheme Awards for the year 2019-20
New Delhi / Mumbai, September 25, 2021
Two NSS volunteers from Maharashtra have been honoured with the National Service Scheme Awards for the year 2019-20, in recognition of their exemplary and commendable Social Service through NSS. The awards have been presented by the President of India, at a virtual ceremony in New Delhi yesterday .
Ms. Sapna Suresh Babar, NSS Volunteer, Smt. L.R.T. College of Commerce, Akola, Maharashtra, voluntarily guided and was engaged in awareness campaigns regarding various Government programmes such as women empowerment, Ujjwala Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, soft skills development, tobacco free campaign and road safety awareness in her adopted village and slum areas of Akola. She participated in AIDS awareness rally at Government Medical College, Akola. She was awarded Best NSS Volunteer of District, University and at State Levels.
Mr. Manoj Vishnu Gunjal, NSS Volunteer, Prof. Ramkrishna More Arts, Commerce & Science College, Akurdi, Pune, Maharashtra actively participated in social sector programmes such as water conservation, green village, organ donation camps, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Bima Yojana, Ujjawala Yojana, adult literacy, tree plantation and blood donation camps. He has also participated in winter camps, Utkarsh Avhan camps for disaster management organised by State NSS Cell. He was also part of the organising committee of the university for tree plantation competing for the Guinness Book of World Records.
More details about Ms. Sapna Suresh Babar and Mr. Manoj Vishnu Gunjal can be found here.
Addressing the award ceremony, the President of India said that the edifice of a human life is often built on the foundation of student life. Although learning is a life-long process, but basic personality development starts during the student life. That is why he considers NSS a visionary scheme through which students get an opportunity to serve the society and country during their school and college days itself.
Addressing the occasion, the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Thakur congratulated the award winners and lauded the NSS volunteers and officials for rendering yeoman’s service during the COVID-19 pandemic. He appreciated their selfless service and contribution to rural development programmes, vaccination drives, blood donation camps and natural disasters among others. The Minister reiterated that the youth are the future of the country and have a crucial role to play in nation building. The Minister urged that more and more youth should come forward and work in rural areas, where they will get the feel of real India and its problems. More details here.
A total of 42 awardees in 3 different categories - University/ +2 Councils, NSS Units and their Programme Officers and NSS Volunteers – received the honours this year.